Ravalla
Ravalla. More than the name of a city, it is the expression of an idea. It is a metropolis that has no equal in Kandaria and perhaps the world. It is home to almost every known race and no small handful of those that do their best to remain unknown. It is the center of culture and learning of the human realm, it's economic power is unrivaled, and it carries mysteries that have never been unraveled. The date of its founding is lost to time. The Athi claim that its foundations were laid down by A Scion whose hand can still be seen in its innermost streets. It was the center of their powerful civilization for a hundred thousand years before their exodus and even now Athi gather in its streets in numbers unseen outside of anywhere save their relatively new homelands. It is Iskander's city. The One King made it his home and capital and under his direction the foundations were laid for the city that we walk today. After his death in the initial chaos and strife that followed six armies attempted to seize the city and all six were destroyed. Ravalla remains a protected place, its borders outlined by the power of The Regent, the mysterious force or being or artifact left behind by Iskander to protect his people. And so Ravalla remains free if for no reason than it cannot be taken. Modern day Ravalla is ruled by two groups. The council, who enforces the law and runs the city on a day to day basis. They are responsible for the ports, the guard, the streets, and the people. But they are only servants to a higher power, the so called Leosavvi or Secret Lords. They are the true rulers of Ravalla, keeping their number and identities secret, meeting in the shadows and forgotten place of the city, masked and powerful and so very dangerous. It is they who are Ravalla's true protectors, from dangers within and without. Ravalla is so large a metropolis that it has itself been divided into different administrative districts. These districts, called cities, form the building blocks of how the city is organized. Each has its own personality and characteristics, each is unique, each has its own history. In brief, these are the nine cities of Ravalla: Rabi - One of the inner cities and home to the Port Authority of Ravalla, The Bazaar of Ivory and Salt, The Azahalla (The Grand Temple to Divas Koth), The Rendrak Collisseum, the Sai Diess Gardens, and the Street of Coins and Tears. Though the enormous amount of trade that flows in and out of Ravalla is a huge part every one of the nine cities, it is the beating heart of Rabi. Home to Cartels, independent merchants, diplomats, illegal slave traders, Mage Clans and artificers, the ever-present Immortals, and a surprising amount of shrines to Kosiem it is a place where anything can be purchased and even more can be stolen. Iso - One of the inner cities and home to The House of Sun and Stars (The Palace of Iskander), The Bazaar of Stone and Wind, The Ishemi (The Grant Temple of Asha-Tith), The Winding Path (Garden/Temple of Calm), The Garden of Princes, The Street of Shadows Wept, and the Tower of the Regent. The most densely populated, busiest, and chaotic cities in Ravalla it is also home to some of the cities greatest mysteries. They say the Leosavvi meet and scheme in Iskander's empty palace, that a light can be seen at exactly the right moment every day in the Tower of the Regent, they say many things. All peoples can be found in this place, rubbing shoulders and purses and ideas and finding their way among one another. Adjakaro - One of the inner cities and home to The Bahak Kama (The Grand Temple of Kamalika), The Bazaar of Dreams and Tides, The Great Library of Ravalla, The House of Fallen Stars (The Grand Temple of Ibelline), The Upright Hall (The Grand Temple of Ara Rell), The Street of Wounds and Whispers, Elani Street, and the Yatasi Docks. A place of learning and travel, of schools and students of both books and life, Adjakaro is a city where anything can happen. And it does. Both wealthy and poor, this city changes drastically from neighborhood to neighborhood as harbor warehouses encroach of the manicured lawns of great academies. Kyzen - One of the inner cities and home to the The Council Seat, The Citadel (The fortress of the municipal guard), The Bazaar of Laughter and Chains, The Palace of Light (The Grand Temple of Meir-Palen), The Adris Avar (The Grand Temple of Avaen of Peace), The Street of Songs, and the Mariasten Gardens. Iso is first among the cities, but is no more than equal. The workings of this city are in the shadow of the council and the great buildings that administer Ravalla. It houses diplomatic missions, representatives from the Mahagar and the Athi, and every soul trying to leverage any political power in the city. While the whole of Ravalla is built in, among, and within the Athi ruins that dominate the city it is in Iso that they are the most prevalent. Jhanar - One of the outer cities and home to the Ahalia Grounds, The Street of Gilded Flowers, The Well of Longing (The Grand Temple of Bhanu-Kas), The Bazaar of Desire and Rain, The Great Statue of Iskander, The Emerald Crown (a large series of parks), The Sanctum of Vao-Shal (His Grand Temple), and The Wraithfold (a massive Athi graveyard). Jhanar is awash in scents at all times, home to the perfumers quarter, the flower gardens of Ahalia, and great trees of the Emerald Crown it is one of the first cities many visitors find themselves in. It is alternately busy and peaceful, frantic and quiet, but it is always thick with the smell of incense and history. Hassat - One of the outer cities and home to The Hassati (a colisseum), The Spinning Coin (a gambling district), The Empty Cup (The Grand Temple of Kosiem), The Skytower (The largest tower in the city), The Bazaar of Leaves and Wings, The Itaki Alar (massive outdoor amphitheater), and Haizen Park. If Rabi is where money is exchanged for goods, Hassat is where it is exchanged for more money. This city sleeps during the day and wakes up at night, lights the great fires that keep the arenas lit, and people fill the streets on their way to casino's and shadow dens and every other place to lose money to an uncaring world. The municipal guard keep a tight eye on the place, but even they can do little when the chips are down. Viratha - One of the outer cities and home to The Armory Hall (Largest mercenary organization in Kandaria), The Marshaling Ground, The Aqueduct of Fujen, The Smoke (blacksmith district), The Bazaar of Steel and Song, the Kamadara (A small forest, holy to the Wildlord), The Tieren Gate (Monument), and The Jade Palace (One of Iskanders Palaces). Viratha is the sound of steel and the clatter of armor. It is a haven for mercenaries sellswords from across Kandaria, it acts as neutral ground and a place where kingdoms can be bought and sold on the edge of a blade. Taverns, bars, shadow dens, and brothels are just as common in its streets as blacksmiths and armorers. Miyabi - One of the outer cities and home to The Tannery District, the Horse Market, The -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The following is some fairly general information about Ravalla, drilling deeper into Iso as it continues. As I mentioned above, Iso is the densest of the cities of Ravalla. In practical terms this means that people are packed together like sardines in a can unless they're rich, in which they have more room but not too much room. The buildings are a mixture of Athi and human architecture, human buildings tend to be less expensive but generally speaking they're roughly between four and eight stories with human buildings tending to be shorter. The buildings themselves range greatly in purpose, for residential buildings generally the first floor is shops or bars or etc. while people live above (much like a normal apartment building). For more commercial buildings, such as those owned or operated by Cartels or merchants sometimes there will be little or no residential at all there (these are rarer than apartments). For government buildings there is rarely, if any, residential at all. Generally speaking human buildings are purpose built and are easier to modify if need be. Athi buildings, almost all of which have at least a minimal amount of magic in their construction tend to be harder to modify and are almost without fail more spacious if less practical. In terms of aesthetics human buildings have a more Indian feel while Athi have a more Japanese feel. These are not absolutes of course, but the roofs of human buildings tend to be domes or flat whereas Athi tend to be pyramids with overhangs. The streets of Iso tend to be narrow, or narrow-ish. Some major boulevards are thirty feet wide but most twenty and alleys can be ten or even five feet wide. These streets are not always choked with people, but there are always people about. The Great Bazaar of the City is open day and night and there are markets open at all hours all over the city. Street vendors and hawkers are common as are thieves. There is demonstrably the ability to travel between rooftops, a thieves road, it is however not in any way a secret and both thieves and Municipal Guard keep an eye on it. Speaking of the Municipal Guard (called Mags or Magpies) and since they feature prominently in the beginning of this campaign I'll talk a moment about them. They are the police force of the city and the occupy the role that the police and FBI occupy for us. They range from Patrollers (The Watch) to Chimaera Squads (Three man special investigation teams) to Sniffers (Spellcasters who read crime scenes) to Heavies (Effectively SWAT). This level of sophistication in a police force in a fantasy world is the result of two major factors. The first is that Ravalla is twice as large as the second largest city (Vedan, capital of the Orissian Empire) and requires a level pf management unheard of. The second is that Ravalla has no standing army and can therefore invest much of the resources that would normally be required for outward defense into inward defense of its citizens. The Municipal Guard uniform is a deep gray, usually worn with blackened leather armor. Patrollers carry staves and truncheons (though it's rare to not have a knife in your boot), while more specialized members might openly carry weapons. Criminal justice in Ravalla is overseen by the council, but each City inside of the metropolis has its own court system (though not its own laws). It is possible to appeal to the council in the case of an unfavorable ruling but this is very, very rare.